Art of assembling bearings



May 21, 1929. L. JON'E-s u ART oF AssEMBLING; BEARINGS Filed May 22'; 192e y fi I3' Bl Patented May' 2i, i929.

UNITED, s'r-.aTi-:-s-

1,714,268 PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER L. JONES, 4oF onADELL/NEW JERSEY.

y ABT or AssEMBLINe BEARINGS. I'

application mea may e2,

v This invention relates tothe art of making and assembling bearing structures for rotating machinery 'where absence of play or shake is desired; t

It is well known that the 'play' or shake in `rotating bearings may be eliminated in the v manufacture of machinery by either machiny notiao'curately machined and which do not includefinely adjustable screws or shims, and

relates to a bearing structure produced by sucliwnew method. The method embodying' the'i'nvention is characterized by the rapidity and^"cheapness .with which the parts may be assembled, such method obviating the costly precision machine work or the expert adjustment -.required -in prior types of bearing structures. The method is especiallyy applicable to those types of machinery where the wear'is small and where the substantial absence'of play, shake or vibration is essential for the correct functioning of the apparatus,

, such as in accurate indicating mechanisms,

continuously variable electrical condensers, inductances and the like. l y

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other as more.

and the complemental bearin 192e. srial 110.1111973.

mental bearing element providing opposed? bearing seats A and B for the bearing surfaces A and B` provided in the bearing elements 10 and 11. In the form of the invention shown in these Figs. 1 .and 2, thebearing holder 12 comprises a shaft and the complemental bearing element 13 comprises a bearmgbox. My present invention resides particularly in the method of assembling the bearing parts described so as to quickly and accurately'. setv the play, of parts which aremachined only to an accuracy of several thousandth's, to a small fraction of'a thousandth of an inch. This ,I accomplish by generating ar workingl clearance between the bearing.y seats A', B surfaces A and B by first placing one o *the bearing structure parts under strain when the bearing elements are driven into engagement with the complemental bearin seats and by then releasing the said strain, t e strain being predetermined so that the dimensions of a bear- ,ing part lare. varied due to the release of the stram y1n an amount equal to-the clearance desired in the bearing.`

As applied to the structure shown in Figs. 1i

and :2, the bearing elements l0 and 11, which in the preferred form are tapered bearings as shown, are driven on the shaft or holder .12 into intimate engagement with the bearing cone surfaces A', B', while either the ho der orL shaft 12 is placed under a compressive force or the bearing box 13 is placed under an expansiveforce, said force being thereafter released to produce the clearance. The method may be accomplished in at least any one lof the fo lowing ways: A

According' to one method, the shaft 12 mayl articularly described hereinafter; referenc\ be held under compression at its ends suc ing' had to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred forms of my invention; and in which: y y

, Figs. 1 and 2 are views showing se uential. steps'i-'nthe method of producing one orm of the bearing, and J Figs. 3 and 4 are views showing sequential .steps inthe method of producing a modified form of bearing'. i

Referring now in detail to the drawings and ha'vingreference first to Figs. 1 and 2 5 thereof, I show a bearing structure comprisin a pair of bearing elements 10 and 11, a hodder or support 12 on which the bearin elements are driven to fixed (positions as wil be pointed out hereinafter, and a compleas C and Dwhilek the cone elements 10 and 11 are being forced along the shaft into intimate engagement with the surfaces A 'and' B. The compression .existing on the-shaft during this time is predetermined, so that lthe subse 'uert elongation of that section of the-shaft etween the cones A and B due to the release of the pressure is e ual to the amount of clearance desired in t e bearin The comprehensive force exerted on the en s losv C,- D of the shaft 12 may be re resented by the opposed arrowed lines 14 an 15. It can be easily calculated or demonstrated experimentally that for bearings of average dimensions the compressioiial forces necessa f' are well within the safe limits for usual sha materials and well within the capabilitiesJ of simple. pressing machinery,- especially-for the generation of clearances of the order of two thousandths of an inch or less. This is the l order of magnitude of the predetermined rclearances desired in the class of machinery' referred to above.

A second methodlof assembling the bearing parts utilizing my improved method is to firstdrive the tapered bearings 10 and 11 into intimate contact with the bearing surfaces A and B and then to apply the pressure to the shaftends-C and D so that the sliding back ofthe tapered bearings along the shaft due to the compression of the material. be` tween the tapered bearings is suifcient to generate the desired clearance after the axial pressure of the shaft is removed.

Another way of practicing the method of '20 my invention which is especially applicable to large and heavy machinery where it would be otherwise expensive or impracticable to; suiiiciently compress the shaft is to produce a sufficient elongation' of the complemental bearing element 13 so as to give the desired clearance when the elongation is removed.c 'Ihis may be most easily accomplished by heating the complemental bearing element 13 .to a sufficient temperature so that the expansion of the material is equal to the clear-U 4'ance desired. After the complemental bearing element is hot the shaft 12 is inserted an'd the bearing elements 10 and .11 driven on into intimate contact with the bearing surfaces A@ and J3 and upon cooling of the complemental bearing element 13 thadesired clearance will be found to exist. This expansive j force produced on the complemental bearing element 13 is representedin Fig. 1 by the arrowedline 16. x

In the preferred construction a space 17' is provided between the bearing holder or shaft 12 and the complemental bearing element 13 intended to supply room for any rmetal shavings which might be formed when the bearing elements 0 and 11 are ,driven y on the shaft 12. It* ill also be notedthat the inner end corners 18 and 19 of the bearing elements 10 and 11 are tapered to facilitate driving on the shaft andl to minimize the tendency to scrape the shafgt. Fig. 2 shows the-relation of the parts with the desired small working clearance produced between the bearing surfaces of the bearing elements and the complementalbearinglseats when the older 12 or on thecomplemental bearing element 13 are removed'.

Referring nowto Figs. 3 and 4 of the draw-k uo" ings, I show a modified form of bearing pro-l f duced by the method of the present invention, Fig. 3 showing the bearing parts when one of the parts is un'der strain, and Fig. 4 showing the same with the strain released. In zthis form of the, invention the bearing` holder strains either on the bearin comprises a box orcasing 12 in which the bearing elements 10 and 11 are driven, the said bearing elements being driven into engagement with the bearing surfaces of the complemental bearing element here in the form of a shaft 13. Either the box 12 is placed under compression as indicated by the arrowed lines 14 and 15', or the complemental bearing element or shaft`13 is placed under an expansive force as indicated by the 'i arrowed line 16 in Fig. v3 of the drawings, which compressive or expansive force is released to produce the working clearances between'the bearing 'elements as shown in Fig.

4 of`th'edrawin The manner omaiking and using the improved bearing embodying my invention and the practice of y,the method, as well as the advantages of the bearing structure, will in the main be fully apparentfrom the above dee tailed ydescription thereof. It will befurther apparent that numerous modifications may be made in the structure described without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the complement-al bearing surfaces, t whilepreferably tapered, may be made in any desired contour. Alsowhile the driving engagement between the movable bearin element and the holder therefor is'prefera lyl a sliding frictional engagement, it\4 will be manifest that the same may be any other form of engagement, such for example as a screw engagement. Other and more numerous .changes may be made in the structure or in the method ofappl'yingthe invention Without dei parting from the essence of the invention defined in the `following claims.

CI claim:

1.' The method l of assembling bearing structures which consists inI driving a4 bear- 1 ing element on a holder into engagement with the bearing seat of a complementalfbearing element and in generating a working clearance between the bearing element andits seat bya yfirst, placing one ofthe bearing structure parts under strain vwith the bearing elementy in engagement with the bearing seat andby then releasing the said strain, the release ofi the strain automatically effecting that relative movement between the bearing element and its4 seat which produces the clearance.

2. The method ofassemblingbearing strucltures which consists in driving a tapered bearing element on a holder into engagement with a tapere `bearing lseat of a complemental bearing-element and in generatin a working clearance between the; ring e ementkand its seat by first placif Vne of the bearing structureparts under strain with the bearing element in engagement with the bearing seat and by then releasing the said strain, l the release ofthe strain automatically effecting that. relative' movement between the bearing element. and its seat which produces the clearance.

3. The method of assembling bearing structures which consists in driving a pair of bearing elements on a holder into engagement with opposed bearing seats of a complemental bearing element and in generating a working clearance between the bearing element-s and their seats by /first placing one ofthe bearing structure parts under strain with the bearing elements in engagement with their bearing seats and by then releasing the said strain, the release of the strain automatically effecting that relative movement between the bearing elements and their seats which produces the clearance therebetween.

4. The'method of assembling bearing strucstructures which consists in driving a pair of bearing elementsfrictionally slidable on I bearing element is frictionally slidable and driven to a fixed position, a complemental bearing element'provided with a bearing seat 'for the bearing element, the bearing element being separated frbm the bearing seat by a v working clearance generated by first placingl one of the bearing structure parts under strain when the bearing element is in driven `engagement with the complemental bearing seat and by then releasing the said strain, the 7B release of the strain automaticallyefi'ecting that relative movement between the bearing element and its seat which produces the clearance. i.

9. A bearingstructure comprising a palr of bearing elements, a holder or support en which the bearing elements are driven. to

fixed positions, a complemental bearing elel ment provided with bearing seats for the bearing elements, the bearing elements being l separated from their bearing seats by`work- -ing clearances generated by firstA placing one of the bearing structure parts under strain when the bearing elements are in driven engagement with theA complemental bearing 9 0 seats and by then releasing the said strain.

10. A bearing structure comprisinga bearing element, a holder or support on which `ance when released.

a holder or support into engagement with thebearing element is driven to a fixed posiopposed bearing seats of a complemental a tion, a complemental bearing element probearing element and in generating a working vided with a bearing seat for the bearing eleclearance between the bearing elements and ment,.the bearing element being separated their seatsby first placing the-bearingholder from the bearing seat bya working clearance underr a predetermined compressive strain" generated by fivrst placing the bearing holder and bythen releasing said strain` the strain under a compressiveforce when the bearing being such as to produce the workingclearelement is in engagement with the complein mental bearing seat and by then releasing the 6. The method of assembling-bearing strucsaid -force, the compressive force being pre# tures which consists in driving a lpair of tadetermined so that the subsequent elongation;

pered bearing elements at least one of which of the holder between the bearing elementsy 105v is frictionally slidable on a holder or support due to the release of the force isequal to the into engagement with opposite tapered bearamount of working clearance desired. ing seats of a complemental bearing element 11; A bearing structure comprising a pair and 1n generating a working clearance beof bearing elements, a holder or support on tween the bearing elements and their seats by which the' bearing elements are driven to a 110 first placing'Y the bearing holder underiaJ prefixed position, a complemental bearing eledetermined compressive strain and by then ment provided with opposed bearing seats for releasing the said strain.the strain being such the bearing elements, tlie bearing elements i 'its trproduce the working clearance when re-` being separated from the bearing seat b eas c 7. `The method of assembling bearing structhe bearing holder under a compressive force tures which consists in frictionally driving a when the bearing element is in engagement pair of bearing elementson abearing holder with the complemental bearing seat and by :into intimate engagement with opposed bearthen releasing the said force, the compressive ing seats of a cpomplemental bearing element force beingl predetermined so that the subse- 120 and in generating a working clearance bequent elongation yof the holder between the tween the bearing elements and their seats by bearing elements'v due to the release of the first placing the holder under a compressive force is equal to theamount of working-clearforce and by then releasing the said force. the "ance desired.'

working clearances generated by first placing compressive yf orce being predetermined so 112. The method ofi/assembling be 'ng ,125 that the subsequent elongation of the holder structures which consists in driving a bearing when the force is releasedjs equal to. the element on a holder or `support into engageamount of clearance desired in the bearing. ment with the bearing seat of a complemental i v 8. A bearing structure comprising a bearbearing element and in eneratin a workin ing element, a/holder or support/on which the clearance betweenthe caring e ement'an 13' strain being such as to pro uce the workingv clearance when released.

13. The method of assembling Ybearing lstructures whichconsists in drivinga pair of bearing elements o n a holder or support into engagement with opposed bearing seats of a complemental .bearing elementand in generating a working clearance between the bearing elements and their seats by first placin the bearing holder under a predetermined strain to` produce moleculanstresse's in the 15 material under strain and by then releasing said strain, the strain being such'as to pro duce the wor 'ng clearance when released. v

Signed at ew Yorkcity, in thecount;7 of

New York and State of New York lthis 18th 2.0 `day of May,- A. D, 1926. i'

LESTER L. JONES. 

